Chapter 31.1

Lu Yu’s brows revealed a faint hint of coolness. “Sister-in-law Chen, my sister-in-law is doing just fine now.”

Jiang Nian quickly nodded in agreement. “Yes, I’m fine as I am now. Besides, there’s a lot of gossip around widows, so it’s better not to meet Comrade Tang Ze.”

With that statement, she made her stance clear and quelled Chen Fang’s idea of setting her up with Tang Ze.

Chen Fang’s expression froze for a moment but quickly returned to normal. She smiled, “If you don’t want to meet, that’s fine. I was just suggesting it casually.”

Commander Tang looked a bit embarrassed. He coughed and said to Lu Yu, “Fangzi just likes to meddle in other people’s business.”

Then he turned to Jiang Nian. “Don’t take it to heart.”

Jiang Nian smiled and didn’t say anything else. She listened as Lu Yu and Commander Tang discussed matters of their regiment. Chen Fang, seemingly not giving up, subtly probed Jiang Nian about her life, almost like she was checking household records.

She realized that people here really liked to play matchmaker.

Seeing that Jiang Nian wasn’t very talkative, Chen Fang asked a few more questions before stopping. She had just returned from visiting Old Song’s place with Old Tang, where she heard from Feng Mei about the idea of setting Jiang Nian up with Old Song’s cousin, Song Bai.

Chen Fang knew Song Bai. He used to be in the same regiment as Deputy Commander Lu in the military district and was later promoted to deputy commander in the military sub-district. He was Old Song’s second uncle’s youngest son. He had an older sister who had been married off long ago, leaving him as the only son at home.

Back when they were in the military district, he and Tang Ze had even fought because their regiments didn’t get along. But after the fight, they were back to how they were before.

As Commander Tang and Chen Fang visited Jiang Nian’s home, Feng Mei eavesdropped on the conversation from her yard. When she first heard Chen Fang talking about Tang Ze, she felt something was off. When she heard Commander Tang’s words, she knew something wasn’t right.

She shouted, “Chen Fang, stop trying to steal my match!”

Her loud voice startled both Jiang Nian and Chen Fang. Lu Yu and Commander Tang turned to see Feng Mei peeking over the wall.

Commander Tang muttered to himself, “She’s like a spy.”

Xu Yan also heard the commotion and peeked over the wall. Seeing Liu Qiang curiously walking over, she waved him off and whispered, “Go check on Jianwu.”

Liu Qiang: …

Why is there something I can’t watch?

Chen Fang, feeling a bit embarrassed, especially after Feng Mei had mentioned setting Jiang Nian up with Song Bai in front of her at Old Song’s place. She hadn’t expected Feng Mei to eavesdrop.

“Get down from there!”

Commander Song’s voice came from the neighboring yard. Feng Mei turned and shouted back, “You shut up first!”

She turned back to glare at Chen Fang. “You knew I was trying to set Jiang Nian up with Song Bai, yet you still came to interfere. What’s your agenda, Chen Fang? I’m telling you, your husband and mine are both commanders. Your husband can’t control me, and I’m not afraid of you.”

Jiang Nian: …

She stood up to try to mediate between Feng Mei and Chen Fang, but then she heard Lu Yu’s voice.

His usually deep voice was now cold and sharp.

“Both of you, stop worrying about my sister-in-law. Even if she never remarried, I can support her.”

Feng Mei and Chen Fang immediately fell silent. Even Commander Song and Commander Tang felt a jolt. They had been around Lu Yu long enough to know his temper. His tone indicated he was angry.

Although Lu Yu was under Commander Song’s command, even Commander Song was sometimes wary of him.

Sensing the tension, Xu Yan pulled Liu Qiang away.

Commander Song yanked Feng Mei down and scolded her. “Can’t you ever stay quiet? You’re the noisiest person in the entire family quarters. Go back and watch the kids!”

Feng Mei muttered a couple of retorts at Commander Song, straightened her wrinkled clothes, and went inside.

Commander Tang also stood up. “It’s getting late. We should head back.”

He waved Chen Fang over, who quickly stood up and forced a smile. “We’ll be leaving now.”

After they left, the yard returned to its previous quiet.

Jiang Nian lowered her head to tidy up the dishes, but Lu Yu took over. “You go to bed.”

Watching him carry the dishes to the kitchen, Jiang Nian thought for a moment, then walked to the kitchen door. Leaning her thin shoulders against the doorframe, she looked at the tall, strong figure of the man, bit her lip, and softly said, “Don’t be mad at Sister Feng. She doesn’t mean any harm.”

Lu Yu paused while washing the dishes. “Earlier, was it Sister Feng who said some idle gossip in front of you?”

Jiang Nian lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes. “Sister Feng was also concerned about our reputations.”

Lu Yu looked coldly at the dishes in the pot, his grip on the rag tightening. Finally, he threw the rag aside and turned to look at Jiang Nian, who was standing by the doorframe with her head down. His voice was low and solemn. “Does my sister-in-law care too?”

Jiang Nian didn’t understand what he meant. When she looked up, she met Lu Yu’s dark, stern eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. She nervously rubbed the hem of her clothes. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

She lowered her head, her eyelashes hiding the confusion in her eyes. What was Lu Yu angry about?

After a moment’s thought, she understood. After all, her husband was Lu Yu’s older brother, and he had only been dead for a few months. Feng Mei and Chen Fang were already talking about setting her up with someone else in front of Lu Yu. No wonder he was angry.

So, Jiang Nian raised her head. “I…”

“Do you also worry about the gossip regarding our relationship and fear that living together for a long time will cause rumors?”

Jiang Nian’s words got stuck in her throat because of Lu Yu’s question.

Lu Yu looked at her, his tone still cold and serious. “If you’re in a hurry to remarry because you’re afraid of gossip, I can move to the dormitory.”

Jiang Nian was momentarily stunned and instinctively retorted, “I’m not in a hurry to remarry. It was Sister Feng who insisted I meet Song Bai, and I didn’t know about what Sister Chen said tonight!”

Her tone was a bit sharp and angry. Say anything, but don’t misunderstand her! Who was in a hurry to get married? She wasn’t in a rush!

Lu Yu was somewhat surprised that Jiang Nian was angry. Seeing her indignant expression, the fire in his heart suddenly dissipated. “I’m sorry. I misunderstood you.”

He turned back to washing the dishes, repeating his earlier statement. “If you feel that living together is inappropriate and might cause gossip, I’ll move to the dormitory tomorrow.”

Jiang Nian, still angry, replied, “I don’t mind, but I’m afraid it might affect you negatively.”

Lu Yu’s hand paused, a faint smile tugging at his tightly pressed lips.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be any issues.”

Jiang Nian, feeling aggrieved, thought it was unfair that she was getting blamed for something she didn’t do. “Your brother has only been dead for a few months. I’m not thinking about remarrying. You don’t need to be angry because someone else is trying to set me up. I will stay loyal to your brother.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

This was the first time Jiang Nian had openly shown anger toward Lu Yu since arriving here.

The smile on Lu Yu’s lips faded, his brows furrowing tightly. His expression became even colder.

Jiang Nian lay on her bed, listening to the footsteps outside, looking at the moonlight through the window. As she calmed down, she felt regret for her outburst.

She relied on Lu Yu for everything, and he wasn’t wrong. He was looking out for his brother. If she was angry, it should be at Feng Mei and Chen Fang, not Lu Yu.

Jiang Nian sighed. Was this what they called being harsh on those close to you?

Hearing the sound of water splashing outside, Jiang Nian pursed her lips, pulled the quilt over her head, and decided to apologize to Lu Yu tomorrow.

That night, Jiang Nian slept restlessly. She dreamed of being back in her home in the new century, where her parents and grandparents were having a meal in the living room. They welcomed her back with smiles and laughter as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Nian leaned on her mother’s shoulder, listening to the family chat, feeling a sense of peace. She went back to her room and saw the time-travel book on her desk. She lay on her bed and picked it up to see if the pages detailing the main characters’ wedding were still blank.

To her surprise, the pages were no longer blank but contained two additional pages of content. However, instead of the wedding scene, it described the main characters going separate ways. The female lead, Sun Ying, got married but not to the male lead.

Jiang Nian flipped through the book, noticing the earlier text seemed to be fading, almost disappearing.

What was going on?

As she turned each page, the text continued to fade, except for the two pages describing Sun Ying’s marriage, which remained clear.

Did the main characters not get married? Who did Sun Ying marry?

Jiang Nian thought of Wu Youshan, Sun Ying’s childhood friend. Did she marry him?

The sound of a bugle call shattered the dream.

Jiang Nian’s eyes fluttered open, looking at the old-fashioned window, feeling as if she had lived another life.

In the book, Sun Ying got married, but not to the male lead. So who did she marry? Was there no destined partner for the male lead in the book from the beginning? Or did Jiang Nian’s intervention change the plot?

Hearing footsteps outside, Jiang Nian got up, dressed, and went to the mirror to comb her hair. Her eyes were a bit swollen.

Had she cried in her dream?

“Sister-in-law.”

Lu Yu’s voice came from outside.

Jiang Nian responded, “I’m here.”

She opened the door and walked out. Lu Yu was setting breakfast on the table in the yard. The morning was chilly, so Jiang Nian put on a thin cotton jacket, an uncommon shade of pale pink. She didn’t bother braiding her hair, instead tying it into a bun, exposing her slender neck.

Lu Yu looked up and saw her fair face with slightly red eyes.

Remembering the faint sounds of sobbing from her room last night, his lips pressed into a thin line. His voice was much gentler than last night. “Breakfast is ready.”

Jiang Nian: “Hmm, I’ll go wash my face and brush my teeth.”

She jogged to the well without thinking much, drew up some well water, and shivered as soon as her hands touched the icy water.

“Don’t use cold water, you’ll freeze.”

Lu Yu came over with a thermos, added some hot water to the basin, and after checking the temperature, said, “It’s ready.”

Jiang Nian, still feeling awkward about her argument with Lu Yu yesterday, lowered her head and softly said, “Thank you.”

She quickly washed her face, brushed her teeth, and then sat down at the table.

The dining table was as quiet as ever. Jiang Nian looked at the steamed egg custard Lu Yu had specially prepared for her. After hesitating for a moment, she got up, went to the kitchen, brought back an empty bowl and spoon, and served half of the egg custard to Lu Yu. Seeing his puzzled look, she nervously tightened her grip on the spoon and said, “You should have some too.”

She rarely saw Lu Yu eating egg custard, always leaving it all for her.

Lu Yu smiled and said, “Okay.”

Jiang Nian ate a few bites of vegetables, sneaking glances at Lu Yu as she contemplated how to apologize. After much internal struggle, she still didn’t know how to start. However, Lu Yu noticed her frequent glances and asked, “Do you have something to say?”

Jiang Nian bit her lip, looked up, and quietly said, “I shouldn’t have been angry with you last night. I’m sorry.”

After speaking, she buried her head and took small bites of food.

Lu Yu replied, “I didn’t take it to heart. You don’t need to worry. My anger last night wasn’t for the reason you think.”

Jiang Nian was puzzled, “What reason?”

“It’s not about insisting you stay loyal to my brother.”

After saying this, Lu Yu finished the soup in his bowl in one gulp, put down his chopsticks, and stood up, “I need to go to the team now.”

Watching Lu Yu leave, Jiang Nian gradually came to her senses.

She smiled, picked up her bowl, and ate several more bites of the egg custard.

As long as Lu Yu wasn’t angry, it was fine.

She didn’t care about remaining loyal to a deceased husband; she had no plans to remarry anyway.

After breakfast, Feng Mei came over, complaining about Chen Fang undermining her. She told Jiang Nian, “You can’t agree to Chen Fang’s suggestion to meet Tang Ze. Tang Ze is also a second marriage. Although he has no children, he’s still a widower…”

Her words suddenly halted.

Feng Mei realized Jiang Nian was also a widow and awkwardly smiled, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just think Tang Ze isn’t good enough for you. Look at you, you’re so pretty. Standing next to Tang Ze, you wouldn’t look like a couple.”

Jiang Nian: …

The sun was shining today, so Jiang Nian took the quilts outside to air them. She looked at Feng Mei standing across the rope and said, “Sister Feng, I have no intention of remarrying. Don’t mention Deputy Commander Song to me again. He’s a young, single man from a good family, with plenty of good girls willing to marry him. Besides, have you considered whether Deputy Commander Song is willing?”

Seeing Feng Mei about to retort, Jiang Nian continued, “You’re not Deputy Commander Song. How do you know what he thinks? What if he has someone over there? By trying to matchmake him here, wouldn’t you offend his girlfriend? In the end, Deputy Commander Song might even blame you.”

Feng Mei was immediately silenced.

If Jiang Nian hadn’t mentioned it, she wouldn’t have thought about it. If Song Bai did have a girlfriend over there, and she found out about her matchmaking attempts, not only would Song Bai be upset, but the whole family might blame her.

Feng Mei sighed, “Oh, my brain never thought that far. Good thing you reminded me.”

Seeing that Feng Mei had given up the idea, Jiang Nian didn’t bring it up again. They chatted for a while until Feng Mei went home to make lunch. Jiang Nian tidied up the vegetable garden before starting to cook lunch.

The weather was getting colder, and it was already mid-December, just over a month until the New Year.

Jiang Nian hadn’t expected to live in this era for six months.

Since Lu Yu took the embroidery to Ge Mei, she hadn’t heard back. She didn’t know if her embroidery was not good enough or if Ge Mei just didn’t want to say anything, so she didn’t pursue further cooperation.

These were just her speculations.

Jiang Nian had no intention of going to the state-run embroidery shop in the city to find Ge Mei. In her view, if business worked out, it worked out. If not, she wouldn’t force it.

The weather had changed dramatically, and it was cold outside. Before it got too cold, Jiang Nian harvested the vegetables from her plot and the yard, making pickles from the cabbage and long beans. She stored the potatoes and radishes in the cellar Lu Yu had dug. She took some dried eggplant slices from the kitchen to make fried eggplant and green onion corn cakes for lunch.

Looking in the cabinet, there was still plenty of rice and flour left from the last purchase. Lu Yu mostly ate corn pancakes, letting her eat white bread and thicker porridge, so there was still a lot of flour left.

Lu Yu hadn’t returned by lunchtime. Jiang Nian kept the food warm in the pot and used an iron hook to take out the baked sweet potatoes from the stove. She let them cool down a bit, then peeled and ate the hot, sweet insides.

The taste was sweet but a bit choking.

“It’s snowing, it’s snowing—”

Jiang Nian heard Song Xiangdong’s voice from next door, followed by Song Xianghong’s excited shout, “Mom, mom, look, it’s snowing.”

Feng Mei’s loud voice echoed, “It’s just snow, why make such a fuss?”

Jiang Nian smiled. Living in a small courtyard like this, the neighbors could hear everything, leaving no privacy sometimes.

She walked to the window and looked at the falling snowflakes outside. She blew a breath on the window, drawing a little rabbit on the fogged glass. When she finished, she couldn’t help but laugh.

So childish.